Brisbane-based artist Julie Fragar has been awarded the $100,000 Archibald Prize for her portrait Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), a vivid and layered depiction of her close friend and fellow artist Justene Williams. This marks Fragar’s fourth time as a finalist and now her first win in one of Australia’s most prestigious portraiture awards.
The portrait is both a celebration and exploration of Williams’ expansive creative practice, which spans photography, video, performance, installation, sculpture, and even opera. Fragar describes her subject as someone deeply grounded in the world while also connected to something larger — “always looking just beyond” and tapping into a kind of creative multiverse. In the painting, Williams appears suspended in space, her form surrounded by elements that reflect the intensity and chaos of her work.
Fragar and Williams share a long creative history, having studied at Sydney College of the Arts in the 1990s and now both teaching at Queensland College of Art. Their shared journey in the Australian art world gives this portrait an added depth and intimacy.
Fragar noted that the win was particularly meaningful as it coincided with the appointment of Maud Page, the first woman to lead the Art Gallery of New South Wales in its 104-year history. “To have a painting of my close friend, and to have a new woman at the helm of this incredible institution — everything feels like it came together in a really nice way,” she said at the announcement.
The Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, is known for its focus on portraits of prominent Australians in the fields of art, literature, science or politics. It remains one of the country’s most recognised and democratic art awards.
Julie Fragar’s win is not only a major career milestone but a significant moment for Queensland’s creative community.
The portrait is currently on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Image: Julie Fragar’s painting ‘Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)’ of artist Justene Williams, which has won the 2025 Archibald prize. Photograph: Jenni Carter
